Hub bearing



May 20. 1924. 1,494,784

4 w. s. HARLEY HUB BEARING.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 26 1921 w. s. HARLEY HUB BEARING May y2o.', 1924.

Filed Jan. 26 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet- 2 Wheelv hub; bearing.

Patented May 2Q, 1924.

f-U'Nff-Ef1ST-MES;PATENT wILLIAMs. HARLEY, onivIILwAuKEE, WISCONSIN, AssIGNo'R To HRLEYQDVIDSO 5 MOTOR oo., or MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, .a vooRPoRA'rIoN vorwrscolasnv..

i HunfnnAIiI'Ne.

'To all whom it may Concern.' y

Be it known that L'WVILLIAM Si rear wheels of motorcyclesfalthough itfinay f be usedon other vehicles.,

Among the objects of'thi's invention is'y to (providel a'bearing wherein there is` no cramping action betweenthebearing. sur- 'faces.j" I

Another object .isito'provide a bearing which automatically maintains the hub .and axle in alinement.

Another object is t'o fprovfide a` improved "nother object is 'to provide a bearing which takes up both the radial and :end

thrusts.

.Another object is to provide; "a. bearing wherein'the entire radial thrust *load is" vcarried by the thereof.

Another object lis' to "provide a light# weight wheel hubwhich is durable. g Another object .is to 'providef fa bearing; having a. free rotary."in ovementfV when the hubis distorted. 1 f Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appean A' 'i The viewsofthe drawings are: Q Fig. 1 shwsa sectioniof a'rear hub'beaif-j iba assemblyf l' Fig.' 2 isa vertical sec ion 'online Ao f.

' Fig.' 3 is a vertical section'o'n line of "Fig: 4 shows'an alternative form of one side'of. aballfbearing"race,`and

Fig. 5 shows an alternative form of one end of arearhub assemblyin section." a The bearing illustrated in Figs." 1, 2 andl 3 willV first be described.

@del at two Separated .Pnts' A hub shell `lis mounted onan axle 2 b`y' means of.. roller bearings 3 carried at the ends of a flexible sleevelc and surrounding the axle.

'The flexible sleeve {l' is provided' at eachy end with anv annular extension or race .ring 8 rigidly fastened thereto andsurrounding j Y (the axle.. HARLEY', a citizen ofthe United'States,' residing at Milwaukee,` in the county o'f Milwaukee and'.V State of lVisconsin, have inventednew and i useful Improvements in Hub Bearings, of

non-rotatably fastened thereto bya key .or pin 10.. The spherical shaped bearing col A Each ofthe race rings 8 rests on an larchedbearing collar or circumferential ,l bearing rib 9 .formed en the vaxle2 yand is lars 9 withstand the entire deadload or direct 4'radial thrust and serve .to prevent a retardingor braking effect on the wheel due to" distortions of the axle. tortionsA frequently `goccur 'when vturning corners-f'Y f .The roller bearings 3' are interposed loev tween ythe hubr'l. at each'` end thereof and" the race rings. 8,l and are held in place` by' an' annulus or disc 11".' Theroller bearlingscarry the direct radiallthrust and most of the load is borne bythese bearings."

v.The outer face of' the ldisc 11 'is slightly groovedto form. one race `for the ball bearings 4112. The vo]g' po 'site s`ide of the ball krace isiformed Vin one side of ,a spherically'sided' thrust washer '13.1' The bearings'l2 and washer lact automatically to keep the hub andaxle'in'alinement. and to' prevent any cramping or braking action betweenthe fixed' These disand rotary parts due to endthrust or distor-` tion of the hub.

"The sphericalor eonvexside of yone of the' washers. 13. litsfinto the concave side of a` collar llwhich is held iii-position by*l a niit; 17 threaded onfthe .axle 2,'while the other washerl at. the other end of theaxle i tsfinto .the concave'l side ofa nut i threaded'ontotheV end oftheaxlef YAin inner dirtr` protector 15 is threaded Aon j thef'endoftlie hub'shell lfand an'outerdirt protector '16 encloses the inner 4dirt4v protecf' tor and/'serves'as a washer between the' nut 17 and collar 14, j

The dirt protector lforms the subject 1nat teroffrny copendingIl application Serial No. 422,099If11ed Nov. 5,1920.

Between the collar t14V and a v shoulder formed on theaxle 2 are washers 25: ,These washers, are used for adjustment Vof the bal-l bearingsand'toprevent cramping the balls when the nut 17`is screwed in place. Surrounding the nut 18 and threaded onV theend of the hub shell l .is la dirt 'protectory 19 which tends tokeep dirt out of the bearings.

sprocket'or driving pulley 5 is mounted onfone" end of the hub shell 1l and is rigidly (though rotatably) fastened thereto by a. lock nut 6. f Y' Y tween, the bearing collarsand the race Abra'lze'V side cover; or protector v2O is provided in which is mounted a stud 21V for supporting the actuating mechanism for'the brake slioe 22". fr Y Y Instead of employinga self-alining -end thrust washer or ball race 13 and a sepaL rate holding nut therefor, these two 'elements may be combined into one .piece with a groove inY one side for the'ball race, as shown FigJt. I fr s d IIn .the modification shown in -Fig.-` 5, a fiber lwasherf23 is employed, instead of ball bearings, tov take .up `'the lendwise thrust.V Y

The flexible sleeve .4 is formed atweach end thereof to provider. races` for the bearings 3.

Therace rings are thereby formed integral ,Any distortion lof the' axle vis. absorbed beseated thereon so that there is no cramping action on. the roller bearings `which are maintained in concentricgrelation to the hub casing and thegracerings. Y i ,The invention# contained herein ,.is, of course, susceptible of other embodiments and adaptations., f

, The ,invention claimed is rvl. `A wheel-hub bearingv a Ahub casing, 'anv a-xle,` ^.concentrically` disposed therein Yin Yspaced relation theretoa two arched collars for the axle spaced .,l ong1tnd1` n nally thereon, an4 externally shoulderedfrace ring seated. on each. collar. afspacmg Ysleeve i connected..at `the .ends thereof; to therace rings, za. .setv of. rotatable bearing. Vmembers supported by each race ringk and.;`

the-,hub casing therefrom, .anda retaining disk abutting V.each race ring. 1 ,2., .A wheel hub bearing com casing, nan .axle concentrically. [disposed thereinv :spaced.relationftliereto,.. two arched A collars for :the axle spaced .longituf dinally thereon,A Van. externally ,shouldered raceL ,ring seated :on each collar, r `al spacing sleeve -connected at the ends: thereof-to the race rings, :and .means forflocking lthecrrace fangs ad` spect to the axle.

v:ii-A wheel hub bearing comprising afhub casing, an axleiconcentrically .disposed therein in spaced',;relation.thereto, ytwo arched collarsfor-the axle spaced longitudinally thereon, an externally" shouldered i race ring seated on zeaclrcollar, a spacing sleeve connected at the ends thereof tothe race rings','a s et of rotatable-bearing.. memberssupported. byr .each race ring and spacing the hub :casing therefrom, `a retaining disk :abutting each race ring, ,a 4retaining collar fastened to each end of the axle, and.

` rotatable end thrust bearing members inter- "posed between the respective. retaining disks land collars.

4.x wheel hutftaing have@ in-.agirait sation with the hub casing internally shoulsleeve against rotation with re-` dered at". each end ,and anvjaxle `concentrically disposed therein in spaced relation thereto,

`two spaced arched collars formedron the axle, an externally shouldered race` ring"V y i seated on -eac/h collar, one siichringvbeing keyed vto lthe axle, a connecting sleevespacing'the race rings apart, a set of bearing .rollers interposed between eachY ring and the hub casing, a rotatable retaining disk abut'- ting the outer end of each race fring'and one of the casing shoulders, a retaining coldisks and collars. ,Y

5. A wheel hubfbearing comprising a hub casing, an axle concentrically disposed therein in spaced relation thereto, vtwo spaced archedfcollars on the axle, an externally shouldered race ring seated on each rings, and ar set of rotatable bearingmemlar. for each end `of the axleY locked thereto,v i Vand rotatable end Ythrust bearing members Y `interposed between the respective retaining f v collar,.a spacing sleeveconnected to the raceV bers heldin each shoulderedrace ring and l theaxle -andikhub casing, a set of rotatable bearing members for the hub casing seated` on eachrace ring, ,and aV retaining disk heldy against the gouter, vend Y of each, race fring'r and cooperating, with the shoulderftliereofiso as to Yprevent lateral displacement of` they.

rotatable radial bearing:members.V v Y 7. A wheelhubbearing yhaving'in com.- bination-witha hub; casing and an axle locatedtherein in spacedfrela'tion thereto,

an arched bearing collarv on the axle, a'lracering seated on the col-lar ,and llocked aga-inst rotation with respect thereto, a set of ybearing rollers supported by Vthe vraceringA spacing the4 .hub casing therefrom, and means for maintaining said" parts YVin.v fixed .andi

longitudinal relation kso as tor maintain"the'VY bearing rollers, hub casing and race` ring:

of the axle. 'Y Y Y ;V ,8. AV wheel hubbearing having inv combinatin`Y with a; hub casingyand an axle located ther-'einl in spaced relation thereto,

in concentric relationregardless of ilexure Yan arched Vbearing collar on thev axle, alrace ringseated on the collarand keyed thereto so' as to prevent relativerotary'movement and permit lrelativer lateral movement,V and.

a set ofebearing rollers heldin vthe bearing Y.

ring and'fspacing the hub casing therefrom, the bearing surface of the collar being so shaped asto compensate for any flexure ofrthe., axle and.,preventcramping of the bearing rollers between the race' fing.

hub 'casing and 152 ing disk for said bearings having a ball race in one side thereof, a set of ball bearings surrounding the axle and located in said race, an annulus one side of which is convex contacting with the ball bearings, and a member one side of which is concave engaging the convex side of the annulus whereby the hub and axle are automatically maintained in alinement.

11. A wheel bearing, comprising a hub and an axle therefor, roller bearings interposed between the hub and axle, spaced arched circumferential bearing ribs formed on the axle at separated points,ja race ring seated on each bearing rib and fastened thereto and supporting the roller bearings, and a spacing member interposed between the axle and huband connected to the race rings.

12. A wheel hub bearing havingin combination with a hub casing and an axle locked therein in spaced relation thereto, an arched bearing collar for the axle,l a

race ring seated on said bearing collar, aA

set of bearing rollers rotatably held in said race ring and spacing the hub casing therefrom, and an end thrust bearing member for the end of the axle located adjacent and outside the bearing roller race ring.

13. A wheel hub bearing having in combination with a hub casing and an axle located therein in spaced relation thereto, an arched bearing collar for the axle, a race ring seated on the bearing collar and keyed thereto, and a set of bearing rollers ro-y tatably held in said race ring and spacing the hub casing therefrom.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed Iny name. K

WILLIAM S. HARLEY. 

